Blood of Ipswich
by Witchr
Summary: Arathyn Ipswich is a young witch from the notorious Ipswich Family who are held responsible for the Salem Witch Trials. Her older brother Witchr, after suffering abuse from her Grandfather flees to England and enrolls in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In order to bring him home Arathyn enrolls at Hogwarts where she meets Harry Potter and all his friends.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is NOT mine! It and its characters belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling and I vow to do my best to honor her. Thank you J.K. for not blatantly banning fanfiction. Arathyn, the Ipswich Family and other guest star OC's are mine thank you!

~Witchr Out!~

Prologue

For thousands of years hidden societies of witches and wizards around the world have developed and thrived; and with each turn of the new century a dark witch or wizard has risen from the midst. Each, more ambitious than the last and even more powerful than their predecessors. These dark and powerful sorcerers, along with their followers, managed to carry out great and terrible things throughout the wizarding world. There is one wizarding family in particular that is world renown for their crimes against magicfolk, and that is the Ipswich family. A family of dark wizards and witches who, under the guidance of Charles Goliath Ipswich, slaughtered hundreds of Muggles and magic folk alike. They trust none of the other wizarding families and choose to live a life of solitude away from other wizards. During many conflicts they have remained neutral, only to emerge when their own kin are in danger.

Through the manipulation of Muggles, the Ipswich family began the slaughter of magicfolk within the Thirteen British colonies. They let the Muggles deal with weak and uneducated witches and wizards, while they began to cut down hundreds of wizarding families themselves. Ipswich believed in rebuilding the wizarding social order, which called for the end of the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' and all anti-reformists. Their destruction would pave the way for an egalitarian wizarding world, where people would not be ranked by the "purity" of their blood or the binding customs of the "Old World". Eventually, when the Muggles lost their usefulness and proved to be just as prejudice as the elite wizarding kind, the Ipswich family developed a new mission: the total eradication of Muggles through false accusations of witchcraft.

Although decades have past since the genocide, the Ipswich line is still strong and despite years of being ostracized by the American wizarding world they have obtained a mass of wealth and are celebrating the birth of their eighth generation.

A/N: Virtual, nonexistent penny for your thoughts? This isn't really a summary more like background information.

大家好！这是金月灵。我是美国人可是我会说一点点中文。你们请告诉我你的想法。你对我的故事有兴趣没有兴趣？我的中文不错吗？


	2. Chapter 1

April 27th, 1990

"You're a disgrace to the Ipswich family! Only an ignorant coward would refuse such knowledge I have bestowed upon you!" The angered shouting within the dark halls of an expansive mansion had begun to ring throughout the house.

Behind a slightly ajar chestnut door two people were in the midst of a heated argument, one of the two was an elderly man and the other, a young boy. The old man stood in a regal manner almost as if he was of royal blood, his eyes were a dark, severe grey with an expression of displeasure, as if he'd never been impressed with anything in his many years. His pale skin had been tinted grey with age and decorated with drapes of wrinkled flesh, but his evenly cropped red hair had yet to entirely bleed out of its magnificent colour and only a few streaks of grey could be found within his thick locks. A long and sharp nose allowed him to literally "look down his nose at others", and his steep height allowed him to "live" above those around him.

It was obvious that the older man was angry, his mouth was pulled into a thin line, his brow was furrowed and sadly the recipient of his said rage was none other than the little boy. The small boy looked nothing like the man before him, where the man was pale skinned with straight red hair, the boy had brown skin and dark curls upon his head. He appeared to be no older than nine, but the taller man before him made the boy look much smaller. His dark brown eyes had begun to well up with unshed tears and his round nose had flushed pink. His small hands were balled into fists and his teeth were tightly clamped on to his bottom lip.

"You call yourself an Ipswich? How dare you! At this rate Arathyn will most likely be the next heir to the Ipswich family. I never thought I would live to see the day where one of my male descendants was demoted to 'Lady of the Manor'. You're nothing but a dirty blooded bastard, I should have never allowed your mother's unclean blood into this family!" The old man sneered at the young boy who had been trying so hard not to cry out. The old man had lifted up a robed arm and pointed a menacing dark black wand at the child in contempt, but the boy could no longer keep his mouth shut.

"How dare you insult my mother!" As the little boy screamed an unseen force threw the man backwards into a dark green emerald chair. There was a loud crash and a look of surprise from the older man before two other people burst in through the door. The small boy ran into the arms of the woman and began to cry, while the man beside her ran to the man on the ground.

Based on their shared traits it was obvious the woman was the boy's mother, her brown skin was darker and her tight curls were tied together at the base of her neck. Yet, pieces of their resemblance was different, the boy's nose was narrower and the woman's ears weren't as large. The woman's expression was pained as she looked at the crying boy, "Witchr what happened?" She asked desperately.

"M-mom." Witchr sobbed.

"W-well then I f-finally got him to tap into his magic. E-even earlier than your brother, your s-son will make a fine wizard, E-Elias." The older man was finally back on his feet with some help from the younger man. The man known as Elias was just as tall as the elder man beside him, he appeared to be a gentler version of the severe man, with brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes. There were also pieces of the young boy found in Elias' features: large ears, a long nose and the same soft expression in their eyes. As the young boy continued to sob in his mother's arms the young man turned towards the older man.

"Father, Witt just turned ten. He's too young to begin learning magic, especially if you're going to use the same method that you used to teach Orion, Collin and I." The young man argued in an even, seamless tone of voice.

The old man let out a wheezing cough and shook off Elias' assistance, "Nonsense! He's at the perfect age now, I had to test him to see if he was worthy of being called an Ipswich. I, Gorlion Alkis Ipswich, as the sixth patriarch to the House of Ipswich will have no Squibs by my blood." Gorlion let out another hacking cough and straightened his long dark coffee robes.

Elias turned to look at his wife's worried face and then to their son, who still clung to her robes and cried.

"Elias." The woman pleaded.

"Father. Alita and I don't want Witchr, or Arathyn, being taught in such a harsh manner. They are too young to be drilled like this. I hope you will respect our wishes, father." Elias' smooth baritone voice was unwavering as he put an arm around his wife, and a sense of "that's final" was added to his statement.

Alita, still carrying their small boy, gave a final scolding look towards her father-in-law and left the dark room, Elias followed shortly, but not before turning to give a nod of respect to his grumbling father.

Elias had always known his father was a harsh and unrelenting man, he had been this way even when he and his brothers were younger. He'd never thought much of it, but now that he had his own children Elias knew he never he wanted them to suffer the same difficulties as he. He had made a promise to himself and Alita to never be like his father, he would raise Witchr and Arathyn without such an extreme form of discipline.

"Elias, Witchr can't keep going through this, Gorlion's even begun trying to teach Arathyn. She's only nine!" Alita whispered angrily as she gently stroked Witchr's curly head, Elias watched her turquoise wedding ring gleam in the firelight. He smiled softly to himself, this was his spitfire of a wife, the mother of his children and he couldn't help but love her even more each time he saw her.

Witchr had finally stopped crying and was able to stand on his own, he knew he was far too big to be carried around, but every time he finished a lesson with grandfather he felt like a broken toy. Witchr hated his grandfather. For all the times he'd hurt him and insulted his mother, all Witchr wanted to do was make-make him disappear! He would never allow him to talk about his mother or anyone else like that again.

When they arrived in the main foyer of the house Witchr was greeted by the smiling faces of his younger sister, Arathyn, and his grandmother, Madame Dresda. Like her husband Madame Dresda was a powerful witch, her deep hazel eyes held a soft motherly expression and yet there was an intimidating gleam beneath it. Her dark brown hair had been tied back into a messy bun, her peppered coloured hair giving her an air of wisdom. She had less wrinkles than her husband due to her ritualistic use of potions and balms despite her being at the door of her ninth decade. Like Elias she too had hazel eyes and she was easily dwarfed by her 6'4" son. Dresda's skin was an olive tone and there were some defined wrinkles around her mouth and eyes from her many expressive years, she would've been beautiful in the past.

Now, Arathyn was a very sweet girl and would most likely be a beauty in the future like her mother. She and her brother both donned brown curls upon their heads and the same shade of brown skin, but unlike Witchr, Arathyn had inherited her father's eyes as well as the Ipswich family's ambition and ability. Although Arathyn appeared to be the next protegé in the Ipswich family, Witchr was no slacker either when it came to magic even at such an early age. Only a year younger than her brother, Arathyn was already proving to be a promising young witch each day, and a devote younger sister as well.

"Witt! Witchr! Look what grandma gave me!" The small girl squealed excitedly as she waved her grandmother's wand. It was a rather slim and elegant wand, pale in colour and around 13" in length, one could say it was a wand meant for the most sophisticated of witches. As she waved the wand a small poof of sparkles spewed from the end.

"Mother should Arathyn really be waving around something that powerful?" Alita asked nervously.

The old woman simply smirked, "Nonsense dear! Arathyn is proving to be a talented witch, why just yesterday I saw her executing a spell without a wand. With talent like her's you should begin her training this very instant." Her Bulgarian accent wasn't as thick as it had been in the past, but the ghost of her native tongue could still be heard.

"Well we can't exactly send her to any institute here in the States, the Ipswich family has been indefinitely banned from all Wizarding and Witchcraft schools within the Western hemisphere. And having father or Orion teach her is out of the question." Elias stated matter of factly.

The grown-ups continued talking and the two little ones remained oblivious as they argued over who got to play with the wand next.

Eventually Witchr stopped playing, and just watched Arathyn play happily. His sad smile went unnoticed by all, he had decided a long time ago he could not remain within this household. He couldn't handle all the Ipswich family rules and expectations. Witchr wasn't a leader and no matter how hard his grandfather grilled him, he'd never be the strong patriarch of the Ipswich family. Rather than be constricted by the family values, Witchr wanted to create something separate, something that was his.

Last Christmas Uncle Gorlois came to visit, he just appeared out of the fireplace in the study, Witchr's mom told him it was through the Floo Network. Gorlois was the black sheep of the family, he was one of the only two people a part of the Ipswich family to live outside of Massachusetts. He was the fun uncle, he always brought exotic gifts and told amazing stories about his adventures. Grandfather didn't like Gorlois very much he'd always seen him as a disappointment. Perhaps that's what grandfather thought of him as well, he was just another screw-up. Then again where else do screw-ups belong besides together?

**August 16th, 1992**

It had been two years since she had last heard from her brother, two years since he disappeared into the night. He had abandoned her, his little sister, their entire family without so much as a good-bye. Grandfather refused to let a "traitorous weak-willed sap" occupy his every waking moment, and wouldn't let anybody else mention anything about Witchr. Arathyn was forced to suppress her feelings in fear of upsetting grandfather. She was hurt and angry which is never a good combination for a young witch like herself, grandfather was beginning to lose his patience, she'd destroyed so many artifacts and windows throughout the manor she'd begun to lose count.

Despite Arathyn's outbursts her magic was coming along really well, she had yet to purchase a wand (which she was supposed to have done with Witchr after his eleventh birthday) grandmother kept trying to reassure her, "Trust me dear your powers are progressing so well I hardly think you'll even need a wand."

It wasn't the wand she was worried about, it was Witchr, they were supposed to have begun training together and to have grown up together. Now, not even their mother knew where Witchr was; there was no longer 'Witchr and Arathyn', it had been diminished to just 'Arathyn'.

"Arathyn! There's a letter for you!" As her mother called for her from downstairs, the ten year old girl set down the book she had been reading, _Intermediate Transfiguration_, and exited the library she'd been cooped up in for three hours. Zipping down the stairs into the kitchen the young witch was met with the sight of her mother sitting at a dark cedar table with a large spotted owl perched upon her shoulder sifting through letters. In the kitchen some dishes were cleaning themselves and an enchanted pie whizzed off into the oven. Another smaller owl tittered around the wooden tabletop anxiously, flapping his wings in an irritated fashion trying to grab the woman's attention. Unlike the other owl's striking pattern and sleek feathers this owlet was in the process of molting and looked as if he'd been put in a blender. The older owl, Salem, held a dark eggplant coloured envelope in its beak, immediately, Arathyn recognized it. Grabbing the letter, she turned to run upstairs.

"Mom I'll be in my room if you need me!" She called before entirely disappearing upstairs.

Her room was on the second level down a dark hallway with maroon coloured walls and ebony accents, moving pictures and tapestries decorated the walls, mostly of her ancestors and other famous witches and wizards.

"Hey Uncle Charlie, Uncle Harb, Pogue, and Uncle Chuck!" Arathyn greeted in a rush as she swept past the moving paintings on the wall. She didn't stay long enough to hear the complaints of the old wizards refuting such pet names and giving long speeches about their nobility and other nonsense.

Down the hall there was a small study and bathroom behind the first two doors, followed by a drawing room and two bedrooms. Two small plaques on each bedroom door with golden lettering that read '_Arathyn'_ and '_Witchr'_ alike in script, but only one of the plaques was dust covered.

With the letter tightly gripped in her small hand, Arathyn twisted the golden door handle and entered the room that had been meant for her even before she came back from the Barius Centre of Magic and Healing maternity ward (The Joan Barius Order of Healing). It was a majestic room, with a large four-post bed, antique wardrobe and the entire room had been painted a soft mint colour. Each wall decorated to look like a forest, and the leaves had been charmed to change with the season. The bed frame was built out of trees: roots for the base and branches for the canopy, ivy vines took the place of curtains, able to be opened or closed with a simple wave of the hand. A large window on the West side of the room let in the bright afternoon sunlight and had a view of the Willowdale forest. For the generations the Ipswich family had lived in the expansive Ipswich Manor there had never been a need to fear being discovered by Muggles, magic sought to it that the impressive manor remained hidden.

Arathyn locked the door with a wave of her hand, then plopped down on to the cold wooden floor. Carefully she studied the strange envelope, it was rather small and oddly coloured, a purple envelope with lime green ink. The handwriting was very efficient and simple:

**To: Arathyn R. Ipswich**

**1006 Ipswich Manor**

**Salem,MA**

**United States of America**

As she opened the envelope a rush of excitement flooded her veins, this was a letter from her Great Uncle Gorlois in England! Arathyn had been writing him for sometime venting about Witchr and life at home, her uncle had accidentally hinted he knew where Witchr was, but refused to tell her. Over the past few letters she had begun to break his resolve, and maybe this was the answer to her two year long question.

**Dear Arathyn,**

**I hope this letter finds you in good health, I apologize for such a late reply there have been many errands to do around the shop as of late. I would ask how your mother and father are but there are much more precedent things to talk about. Hopefully your training is going well and my brother is not being too overbearing. From what I hear, you're proving to be a very talented young witch, and you are able to perform spells wand-less. I am very proud to have such an amazing great-niece like you and I know Witchr would be very proud as well.**

**The disappearance of your brother has hurt you, to what extent I did not know until your last letter. It was because of that letter that I have had a change of heart. I know how much you miss your brother and because of that I wonder if I made the right decisions when it came to him and his situation. For these past months I have allowed Witchr to live with me in London.**

**He came to me desperate for help and despite what you may think I still hold the Ipswich family code to the utmost importance: "Never abandon your kin". I provided him with a place to live and everything he could possibly need, I did not think about the consequences of my actions. I could not lie to my family so, I informed your parents that Witchr had left in order to escape the pressures of the Ipswich family. They decided it was best that Witchr stayed with me for a year until he decided to return. Witchr did not wish for you to know in fear you would be disappointed, so he swore your parents to secrecy. Witchr only ever wanted to prove himself different from what people believed him to be. He did not want to be constricted by the Ipswich family binds, and I empathized with him. I asked a favor from my old friend, Albus Dumbledore, to allow Witchr to be enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He started last year, and I have never seen him so happy.**

**I am eternally sorry for every moment you were denied of your brother's companionship and friendship. I do not know if you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me. If you were to bestow your forgiveness upon me I shall try my hardest to regain your trust and prove myself.**

**Sincerely**,

**Gorlois C. Ipswich**

Arathyn didn't know whether or not she would vomit, scream or cry. A flurry of emotions left her feeling light headed as she re-read the letter over and over again. She had found her brother, and lost any trust she had in her great uncle and family. For months she'd been asking him about any information surrounding Witchr and his whereabouts, each time she asked all she got were empty responses and lies on both ends.

_Witchr was in London. Witchr was in London. Witchr was in London._ He was in London and he was happy. Happy, that he left them behind. Happy, that he didn't have to deal with the Ipswich family "drama". Arathyn felt as if she'd been abandoned all over again; she knew there had to be a reason why he left she just never thought it would be because of their family.

Jumping to her feet, she rushed over to her writing table to grab a quill and paper, the quill moved furiously as she scratched down each letter.

**If you can get my brother, the third heir of the Ipswich family, into Hogwarts despite our families' legacy then I suppose you'll have no problem arranging for my enrollment. I'll arrive in London in exactly one week by Floo powder, be waiting.**

**Arathyn**

She meant every word, she would bring Witchr back home, she would fix everything and he would once again know what it means to be proud of being an Ipswich. Leaving her writing table, Arathyn went over to the window, pushing the glass open and letting in a fresh breeze from the open skies. Forming an 'O' shape with her lips Arathyn let out three long musical notes, and the same small creature from the kitchen landed on her windowsill. Carefully the ten year old put out her thin arm, the small barn owl used its sharp talons and clambered up her grey sleeve.

Cooing softly, Arathyn began to gently stroke the owl's feathers, the bird twisted its head in appreciation.

"Okay, Riley, this is for Uncle Gorlois, you've gotta be fast, alright? Now go."

The young girl handed the small paper to the bird and after he got a good grip the small owl took flight. Now it was time, she'd go to her parents and request to go to England, she was going to bring back her brother. She was going to find her brother, she was going to Hogwarts.

A/N: Gorlion and Gorlois are twins in case you were wondering.


	3. Chapter 2

September 1st, 1992

"Is anyone sitting there?" Arathyn looked up as the partition door to the small train car opened and revealed a girl. She was a very peculiar girl, her clothes were aged and everything about her was plain except for her bright red hair and freckles. Arathyn looked around the empty coach, wishing nothing more than to reply it was full; sadly, besides her barn owl Riley, there was no one there to justify her claim.

"No." she replied. The young girl took that as an invitation and entered the compartment only to sit down across from her. The girl smiled nervously and after a few minutes of awkward silence spoke.

"Hullo, I'm Ginny by the way." The young girl stuck out a small pale hand from her worn robes. Arathyn looked at the girl with a strange look on her face, and eventually outstretched her hand to return the greeting.

"I'm Arathyn." She replied and watched as Ginny's face seemed to brighten up in surprise.

"You're from America?"

"Yeah." Arathyn replied plainly, and continued to watch the strange girl. Whenever Arathyn and her family met other wizards they always seemed to cringe away, that's why the only friends Arathyn had while growing up were either her cousins or brother.

"What are you doing all the way out here, don't they have wizarding schools in America?" Ginny asked.

Arathyn was beginning to think this girl was a bit off, everyone knew that the Ipswich family's had been forbidden from attending schools in America. She figured it would be best not to tell her, "My family wished for me to go to Hogwarts."

Ginny made an inaudible 'oh' and continued on happily, "See, my whole family has attended Hogwarts, in fact four of my older brothers are there, I'm the last to go in the family. How about you? Got any siblings at Hogwarts?"

"My older brother." Thankfully Ginny didn't ask anymore questions about her family after that. Instead she asked about America and other random things that popped into her head. They talked about music, clothes, food and one another's native accents. Ginny was very curious about the West which she had only heard in stories.

Ginny had taken a liking to Arathyn, although she didn't say much Arathyn was very attentive and curious by nature. A few times Ginny even managed to earn a genuine smile from the quiet girl. The two talked about many things and Arathyn began to slowly open up about herself. It turned out the two girls had a lot in common they both had old-fashioned names (Ginevra and Arathyn), liked chocolate a little too much and wanted to perfect their magical skills.

Despite Arathyn's lack of social skills the two girls were getting along just fine, Ginny even told her all about the type of sweets that were worth eating when the tea trolley came around. After they stuffed themselves and Arathyn had gained her first collectible wizard's card (Merlin), the two had begun to admire Arathyn's bird.

"I've never had my own owl. My family only shares one owl, Errol, and he's about as useful as a newborn. How did you come across him?" Ginny absentmindedly asked stroking the goodnatured bird's downy soft feathers.

"My father gave him to me as a birthday present."

The partition opened to reveal another girl with thick bushy hair and strangely large front teeth, unlike the two of them, she was already dressed in her black school robes.

"Oh, hello Ginny! We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in ten minutes, I'd advise you both to get dressed." Said the strange girl.

"Thanks Hermione. Oh, this is Arathyn another first year; Arathyn this is Hermione, she's a friend of my brother's."

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, a second year Gryffindor." Without any hesitation Hermione outstretched her hand and grabbed Arathyn's. Arathyn nodded awkwardly and gave a small uncomfortable smile, so far all of these British wizards and witches weren't so bad, but that was because she had yet to give them her surname. Still gripping her hand, Hermione turned to Ginny and asked,

"Have you seen Ron and Harry? I've searched the train, but they aren't here." Ginny shrugged and then prepared to change into her large, overly worn black robes and Arathyn followed like wise.

When they finished changing, the two girls got up and Arathyn reached for Riley's cage until Ginny stopped her.

"Don't worry, my brothers told me that all of our luggage gets taken to our room when we arrive." Arathyn nodded silently before reluctantly leaving the bird behind.

Ginny and Arathyn followed a large man with the rest of the first years to a small pod of boats, some boy stepped on the back of Ginny's robes nearly causing her to fall into the black waters; Arathyn shot the boy a glare, and followed Ginny into the boat.

The castle was bigger than anything Arathyn had ever seen, the grounds seemed to be endless and at the very edge, a forest as thick as darkness loomed over the grounds. As they entered the great doors that lead to the legendary innards of the school Arathyn tried not to let her amazement become too evident on her face.

"First years come along now!" A severe looking, black haired witch in deep maroon robes and a large pointy hat appeared in front of the group. She wore glasses and a very serious expression on her face, that reminded Arathyn of her grandmother when she was angry.

"Welcome to Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses; there are four houses Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now, while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. Now, I would like all of you to line up, single file, and follow me into the Great Hall."

Each nervous student did as they were told, syncing into a long train of black robes, and as the large doors opened to reveal a brightly lit hall a few gasps could be heard. There were four long tables filled with students from each of the houses and the professors sat at a table in the front, the ceiling had been bewitched to look like the night sky and candles floated in midair. As they walked in between the tables Arathyn puffed out her chest and lifted her head in hopes of shaking any nervousness in her. The person in front of her stopped walking and Arathyn followed in suit, the bustling hall began to quiet and Professor McGonagall brought out a rather dirty old hat and set it down on a small stool. Suddenly a tear in the hat's brim opened as if it were a mouth, and the hat began to sing. It was a very peculiar song about the history of the school's houses but while some of the other first years seemed to have enjoyed it, it only served to eat at Arathyn's patience. When the song ended Professor McGonagall returned with a large scroll and began to address the group of nervous first years.

"Now, when I call your name you will come up here and sit, I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head and then afterwards you will join your respective houses." Murmurs went through the group and then silence cloaked the hall.

"Dylan Anderson." A small boy stepped out of the line, took a seat down on the small stool and waited nervously for the hat to be placed upon his head. It took less than thirty seconds before the hat wailed, "Ravenclaw!" A table at the far end broke out into cheers and applause, and Dylan went to join his new housemates. The hat continued on shouting and the thunderous uproars of students continued.

A small impish boy named Colin Creevey went to Gryffindor and the girl after him, Emelia Cortes, went to Hufflepuff.

Then McGonagall finally finished with the H's and proceeded with the I's much to Arathyn's horror.

Herrick Ian became a Slytherin and Kol Ikus followed after Herrick towards the Slytherin table. Dahlia Ingram was sorted into Hufflepuff and Satomi Inoue trickled off to join the Ravenclaws.

"Arathyn Ipswich." As her name was called and unholy silence filled the halls, and then the whispers followed. She knew this would come, as soon as her last name was revealed people would begin to talk, they would trade ridiculous tales back and forth about her and her family. Undeterred she walked towards the stool, trying to remember everything her family had told her before she left for London:

"Never show your emotions."

"Be proud of your family's name."

"Stand tall."

Professor McGonagall remained unfazed as Arathyn sat down upon the stool and just like the students before her, she felt the brim of the Sorting hat touch down upon her head. A raspy voice began to whisper whether it was in her head or her ear was the question.

"Another Ipswich, this will be interesting. I see you have your family's pride and cunning nature too. Ooh, very brave and a prodigious mind as well, as to be expected of an Ipswich. Now, where do I put a young prodigy like yourself?"

Arathyn cared little for where she ended up in, all she wanted was to find Witchr, so where ever he was she would follow.

"There is a bright fire within you, a fire made of courage, intelligence and loyalty that can only be nurtured if I place you in...GRYFFINDOR!" The hall remained silent. There was no clapping or cheering to be heard anywhere, just hushed whispers.

Then a slow clap came from behind, Arathyn turned to see a wizened, old wizard in a pointed hat and silvery robes looking down at her. He had twinkling blue eyes and a long crooked nose, and as he began to clap others followed hesitantly until finally the entire hall had joined him. Although it was not as loud as any of the other students that came before, it did make Arathyn stare in wonder at the strange man. Arathyn made her way towards the Gryffindor table and took a seat on a bench, it wasn't surprising when those around her tried to move away.

Arathyn watched as Ginny was also sorted into Gryffindor, some other boys with the same red hair and freckles as Ginny (probably her brothers) stood and cheered loudly as she made her way towards them. Arathyn knew this would come, after Ginny found out who she really was Arathyn would go back to being alone in silence. To her surprise Ginny sat down right beside her, judging by the looks from the other Gryffindors and her siblings it wasn't a decision they condoned.

When Ginny first heard Arathyn's last name she recognized it immediately, her father had told her all about the Ipswich family and their role in the Salem Witch trials of America. That mattered little to Ginny because she had spoken to Arathyn, even if it wasn't for very long, and she knew Arathyn wasn't like those evil wizards she'd heard about in the stories. Arathyn may be a bit introverted and shy but if she was truly evil she wouldn't have been placed in Gryffindor.

Shortly after some announcements from the teachers the feast began, and the once empty glittering tableware had suddenly become piled with food! Ginny faithfully explained to the young American witch what each of the dishes were and even convinced Arathyn to try some Shepherd's pie which she likened to Chicken Pot Pie. After they'd finished with dinner the plates were wiped clean and filled with new tantalizing desserts of all kinds. Ginny had some custard tart and strawberries while Arathyn stuck to her simple dish of mint ice cream. Eventually the plates altogether disappeared and the students were to sent off to bed.

The two girls along with the rest of the first years were to follow their prefects to the dormitories and that's just what they did. As the two girls walked through the corridors Arathyn watched the moving pictures from the corner of her eyes, the suits of armor that seemed to move and the ghostly apparitions that spoke to the prefects every now and again. As the girls walked in step with the two uniform lines of other fellow Gryffindor first years Arathyn felt some of them try and subtly drift away from her until the only ones who remained were the oblivious Muggle borns. Percy, Ginny's older brother, gave directions and pointed out some bathrooms and other classrooms as they passed by. Suddenly, Ginny stopped to stare at the door that Percy said led to the girl's toilets, but it went unnoticed by the others.


	4. Chapter 3

Classes had begun at Hogwarts, and Arathyn had yet to see Witchr in the halls or at breakfast. She would have asked other students, but they still avoided her like the plague all except Ginny. Ginny remained by her side through the whole awkward first day of term and despite the American girl's thick shield of indifference it was obvious she was anxious. Ginny and Arathyn's first class was Charms with the tiny Professor Flitwick, and to everyone's surprise, including Professor Flitwick, Arathyn excelled at casting Charms. As the two girls packed up their things Ginny heard two Hufflepuffs whisper amongst themselves, "She does come from a Dark family they probably taught her loads of spells."

Ginny looked to her friend and saw a visible cloud of gloom surrounding the girl, as if sensing Ginny's concern, Arathyn turned to her.

"Doesn't matter, I'm used to it." Arathyn replied with low tone and an annoyed expression in her eyes.

The next class they had was Potions with Professor Snape, Ginny immediately understood why her brothers called him a "slimy git". He looked as if he hadn't washed his hair in ages, the black strands were so greasy that they gleamed in the low candle light of the dungeons. His large hooked nose and beady eyes glared down at each first year with distaste, the exception being his precious Slytherins. Everything about him was dark and cold, just like the dungeons he had the nerve to call a classroom. His beady eyes remained frigid towards everyone until Ginny flipped her red locks over her shoulder in annoyance and there was a small flash of soft emotion within the professor's stern gaze, but she immediately shook that from her mind. The youngest Weasley turned to see a very eager Ipswich leaning on the edge of her seat and trying desperately to take in everything being said by the menacing Snape.

Arathyn stared curiously at her Potion's professor, absorbing every word that came from his mouth. What little Grandfather had told her about Potions during her studies had always interested her, the whole idea of wand-less magic in a pro-wand society was fascinating! As the dark haired wizard continued to talk down to the other students more, Arathyn muttered a spell beneath her breath, "Mobiliar" and stared at her immobile quill. As if an invisible hand had suddenly gripped the thin object, the quill stood at attention and begun to write down everything the professor said on a roll of parchment. Unlike it's wand counterpart, "Mobiliarbus", this was a charm that allowed the caster to control an object without the direct use of their wand, but rather their mind. As the quill scurried along the paper, occasionally stopping to coat its' tip with jet black ink, Arathyn begun to notice some curious gazes around her and, judging by Snape's suspicious stare, so was the professor. Arathyn quickly snatched up the quill when the teacher turned to investigate what had captured his student's attention.

"Tomorrow I expect all of you to have read through the first five chapters of Magical Drafts and Potions, and have a roll of parchment explaining basic ingredients, where to find them, and their purposes. I will not baby step you through this class, if you fail to perform admirably it will either lose you house points or earn you detention. There will be no second chances, do I make myself clear?" With that final note the students cleaned up their things, making their way to their next class.

Herbology was taught by Professor Sprout, a dumpy old witch who was too easily impressed by simple things. The class wasn't as fascinating as Potions according to Arathyn. Afterwards, as the two girls gave their two cents about the class Arathyn turned to Ginny.

"My mom loves studying magical plants, she even enchanted a tree for my bed frame on my fifth birthday. I don't know how she likes Herbology it's so boring."

"It's not that horrid, Potions was dreadful."

"I didn't think it was so bad." Arathyn protested.

"That was right awful! I've seen livelier ghosts!" Ginny had begun to get more and more excited.

"Oi' Ginny!" The redhead's ears flushed pink as she turned around to see who had called out her name.

To her surprise and mortification two gangly gingers were walking leisurely towards the two girls. These two were none other than Ginny's older brothers Fred and George, the infamous set of Weasley twins. Arathyn suddenly felt uncomfortable and shuffled behind Ginny in an attempt to make herself scarce, but the twins just kept coming.

"Hullo, Ginny!" Both chimed.

"How's our favorite little sister?" The one on the right asked.

"I'm your only sister." Ginny grumbled.

"Not true, we've still got ole Ickle Ronnikins." Ginny laughed at that.

"Not much of a competition though." The other twin commented. Arathyn, feeling rather uncomfortable, contemplated slinking off and heading to History of Magic on her own.

"Oh, sorry Arathyn. Fred, George this is Arathyn. Arathyn these are my brothers Fred and George." Ginny was nervous about introducing Arathyn to her brothers but Ginny knew Fred and George rarely took the things their mum and dad said seriously.

"So you're from the legendary Ipswich family?" The one on the left that she guessed was Fred asked. There was an awkward tension in the air both girls could feel it, but Arathyn was in no mood for anymore alienation from her peers. Breathing deeply and mustering up any courage she had, Arathyn replied sarcastically.

"Boo. I know, terrifying, right?" Both twins stared down at her, until eventually large, identical grins stretched across their faces.

"Yup, real scary." George replied sarcastically.

"Quivering in our boots, we is." Fred chimed in.

Arathyn grinned softly, from what she could tell Fred and George's lack of prejudice was something Ginny also shared and with the possibility of making some more friends on the horizon, Arathyn felt all her previous nervousness dissipate.

"What are you lot doing?" A voice called from behind Fred and George.

All four of the young wizards turned to see another redhead make his way towards them, in step with that girl, Hermione, from the train and another queer looking boy in glasses. Few, except for Hermione and Arathyn noticed Ginny's flushed face and pink ears as the trio neared. Arathyn squirmed slightly beneath the redhead's hateful gaze, but was drawn towards the boy with untidy raven coloured hair and glasses.

"Oh nothing Ickle Ronnikins, just socializing." Fred or George replied. A furious blush crept across Ron's freckled face, "What are you doing?"

Judging by his unsubtle eye gesture he was talking about their association with Arathyn. The boy beside Ron allowed his eyes to flicker curiously between the strange girl and his ginger friend.

"Ron, don't be rude!" Hermione scolded, arms tightly crossed, mimicking a disappointed mother.

"Arathyn this our other sister, Ronnikins, and her friends Hermione Granger and the infamous Harry Potter, the boy who lived."

"Harry Potter?" Scrunching her brow, Arathyn searched the young wizard's face for the legendary mark: the lightening bolt scar. Harry blushed at her focused expression, took pity on her and brushed away his unkempt hair revealing the infamous scar. The young witch opened her lips in an inaudible gasp.

"See Harry you leave even the Yank star struck." Fred joked. Hermione decided to step in and break the awkwardness for a bit.

"So Arathyn where are you and Ginny headed?"

"History of Magic with Professor Binns." The boys groaned while Hermione seemed rather excited.

"Poor bloke he didn't deserve to murdered because he was a bloody awful professor." George groaned.

"It was a tragedy really." Fred replied solemnly.

"He was really murdered?" Arathyn asked wide-eyed.

"Don't listen to them Arathyn they're only pulling your leg, Professor Binns died in his sleep." Hermione glowered at the foolish twins.

Ginny and Arathyn decided to leave and head to class with Ginny muttering embarrassed apologies for her "stupid brothers". Towards the end of the day after Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Flying Ginny and Arathyn shared their favorite classes.

"Flying was amazing I can't wait till tomorrow." Ginny confessed excitedly.

"I really did like potions despite what you think." Arathyn revealed. When the two thought of their least favorite class both girls groaned at the thought of another day in History of Magic. The two of them worked on their Potion's assignment then climbed up the stairs to the dormitories and fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 4

The giddiness of starting a new term hadn't dissipated from the student body yet, three quarters were up early and already enjoying breakfast. Ginny and Arathyn were no different, the two girls sat across from Hermione who has eating toast while intensely reading one of her crisp new textbooks. Arathyn sipped her orange juice and ate her porridge slowly occasionally setting down her spoon in the bowl to give her full attention to Ginny who was talking about a strange third year. Ginny was very animated when she spoke yet somehow cool and reserved, in conclusion this witch was a walking contradiction.

"Oi Ginny!" Both girls looked up to see Fred and George finally trickle down out of their dormitory and sit down.

"You missed it." The twins exclaimed happily.

"Missed what?" Ginny scrunched her face in confusion. Arathyn saw Hermione roll her eyes and make an extra effort to focus on paragraph she was reading.

"Yesterday, Ron got a Howler from Mum." Fred started.

"Said he drove the car here, to Hogwarts!" George finished.

"Are you serious, a Howler? He drove all the way here? Has he gone mad?" She asked incredulously. Her eyes wide in disbelief, Ron really drove all the way to Hogwarts?

"Didn't you hear it? I coulda sworn the whole hall heard it." George responded.

"I just thought it was my imagination."

"No, he and Harry really took the car all the way here."

"Brilliant, wish we'd thought of that," Fred commented to himself. "Muggles seen him and Harry." He continued.

"Heard they got caught by Snape too." George added.

At that very moment Ron and Harry appeared and took a seat on the opposite sides of Hermione, Ron shot Arathyn a distrustful glare then began to comment on how the term just started and Hermione didn't need to memorize each of her textbooks.

"Here he is everyone our renegade little brother. Takes after us you know." The twins jabbed playfully. Ron flushed torn into a piece of bacon and grumbled into his breakfast, "Why'd you have to tell _her_." He emphasized 'her' obviously in reference to Arathyn.

"Ron it's not her fault you're a stupid git, I say you deserved more than a Howler." Ginny snapped. Ron flushed harder and began to angrily shovel cornflakes into his mouth. After the two girls left the table Ginny pondered why Ron held back when she called him out on stupidity. She didn't even notice Harry nudging him or Hermione staring him down.

Arathyn was excited for another day of potions, the first five chapters Professor Snape had them read was fascinating. There were so many herbs, minerals and plants with amazing properties: the Bezoar from a goat's digestive tract could cure almost any poison, the plant aconite had toxic leaves but the flower was very useful in potion-making, and mandrake root can be used to revive those who've been petrified. Ginny didn't hold the same interest as her friend and was just happy that she'd finished her assignment on time.

When the end of their charms class rolled around Ginny contemplated hanging around in Professor Flitwick's classroom a little while longer, but Arathyn wasn't having it.

"Do you think he'll go over the material in class? I have a few questions on mandrake preparation and I didn't have time to research creatures with the ability to petrify their victims."

"You're a real bookworm." Ginny commented. Arathyn shrugged and the two strolled along to their next classroom.

"Wow can't believe there's an actual Ipswich here at Hogwarts in Gryffindor no less." Arathyn perked up at the sound of her name to see a small clan of first year Slytherins walking towards the dungeons. The current speaker was that boy who was sorted a little ways before her, Herrick Ian. He was rather pudgy around the waist and very short as if he was meant to roll instead of walk. His curly brown hair sat directly on top of his head like a brillo pad and his large circular eyes made him look just like an owl. The other unfamiliar faces were irrelevant except for the other boy who had come after him, Kol Ikus. It was obvious the taller boy was very handsome, his dark green eyes and perfect black hair were what the standard Slytherin should look like. His straight nose and evenly tanned skin was also irritatingly perfect.

"They're pathetic excuses for wizards though, of course it belongs in Gryffindor." Ikus answered his classmates previous comment. Then he and his classmates erupted in laughter and the two Gryffindors saw it. Despite his many assets Ikus' greatest imperfection were his teeth. The front two were tangled in an impossible dance and the others had trenches between them.

Ginny turned to her friend to make sure they'd seen the same thing, Arathyn's expression of disbelief and disgust confirmed it. Both girls burst out into laughter ceasing their slow walk as they leaned on each other for support. The Slytherins stopped to stare at the two Gryffindor's who were in the process of laughing themselves stupid. Ginny and Arathyn had already forgotten the previous insult as they stumbled their way to class.

"Did you see his teeth!" Ginny joked.

"My eyes feel betrayed." Arathyn laughed.

"Those tombstones are pathetic excuses for teeth!" Arathyn continued through her giggles.

The two girls entered the classroom oblivious to their classmates stares, eventually their laughter stopped when Colin Creevey snapped a picture with his camera.

"What's so funny?" Colin inquired.

_Teeth_ was all Arathyn managed to blurt out before falling back into more laughter. Eventually the two began to settle down and prepare for the start of class, they took out their rolls of parchment and set them neatly down upon their tabletop. Snape came strutting out from his office his glowering facial expression never changing. With a wave of his wand he collected the rolls of parchment and stood at the front of the classroom.

"Pop quiz on the first SIX chapters." Snape sneered.

"Professor you assigned us the first five not-." Someone from behind argued.

"You should've prepared and read the entire book, I expect no less Matthews." Half of the class groaned as they brought out their quills, a few tried to skim through chapter six when Snape was facing his desk. Ginny leaned over and whispered into Arathyn's ear, "Notice how none of the Slytherins seemed surprised, he obviously told them what the test would be on." Arathyn peered over to see Herrick Ian and Kol Ikus looking unfazed by Snape's news and happily chatting with their fellow housemates. The longer she looked at their smug faces the more Arathyn wanted to zap them out of their chairs.

As the test appeared on their desk and Snape began to patrol the rows of students in a proctor fashion Ginny growled in irritation, "I hate him, I really do."

At the end of class the looks of exhaustion and terror were apparent on the faces of each first year Gryffindor. Nearly forty percent of the questions were based off of chapter six and they were also worth the most marks. Ginny's ears were flushed red in annoyance as she skimmed over chapter six. Arathyn tried to salvage what was left of a bun at the base of her neck until she finally gave up in heap of frustration and snatching her hair into a high ponytail.

"You were right Ginny, Snape is a slimy git whatever that means." The American witch huffed. Ginny smiled to herself before stuffing the book back into her bag and throwing her arm around her friend, "C'mon Ari Herbology awaits!"

"Kill me now."

Herbology was nothing exciting, History of Magic left both girls exhausted and famished. As they entered the great hall Ginny bumped into a few Hufflepuffs who cowered in fear as Arathyn stepped forward. Fingering her wand nervously in her pocket Arathyn made an attempt to say hello but the Hufflepuffs didn't stay long enough to hear. Ginny led her friend over the part of the Gryffindor table where the Weasley clan and friends congregated. Both girls stuffed themselves with sandwiches and anything else they could find on the table spread. When they finished Arathyn laid her head down as if to take a nap before she could drift off she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Ipswich." Twisting her head over her shoulder Arathyn watched as Fred and George walked away, saluting her as they went.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Arathyn informed Ginny.

"I'll go with you." Ginny started to rise from the bench.

"No it's fine." Arathyn swept her robes away from her legs and then headed to the girl's bathroom. The bathroom was bustling with people, Arathyn was nearly trampled by some sixth years on her way in. There were girls in the mirror fixing their hair, reapplying makeup and some just standing around waiting for their friends. Making her way to a stall made her feel holy in a way, in their attempt to steer clear of her the girls formed a pathway. Gently closing the stall door behind Arathyn slumped down on to the toilet. She could hear all of their whispers, balling her hand into a fist she tried to channel her anger and frustration. She heard a loud bang, the sound of running water and a few high pitched shrieks. She heard the pack of witches exit the bathroom in a hurry, finishing her business before exiting the stall Arathyn beheld the mess she made. Two sinks had exploded and water covered the tile floor, hoisting up her robes Arathyn walked towards the sinks to wash her hands. Taking out her wand Arathyn recalled the spell her grandfather used whenever she accidentally broke something with her magic.

"Reparo." The sinks and their broken pieces flew back together looking no different than before. The water however remained in clear pools on the floor. With a sharp jab of her wand in the direction of the stagnant water Arathyn whispered, "Evanesco." and watched as the water vanished. Her years of being drilled by her grandfather and independent study was proving to be most useful during her first few days. Brushing off her robes Arathyn strode out of the bathroom feeling rather proud of her successful spell-casting.

"Ari!" Ginny waved as she saw the girl exit the lavatory. She had been in there so long that the Weasley girl had suspected she'd gone up to the girl's dormitories without her.

"What took you so long?"

"Just cleaning up."

"Oh, well I'm going up to Gryffindor Tower to fetch my Transfiguration book." Ginny responded.

"I'll come with you I have to get my Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook anyway."

Both girls made their way up Hogwarts' infamous Moving Stairways that Arathyn loathed with a passion for their frequent changing and trick steps. When they arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait both had forgotten the password, but were saved when Lee Jordan opened the door to leave. Lee pitied them and whispered,

"The password is Wattlebird."

The girls thanked him, slipped into the common room and up the stairs to their respective dorms. Shuffling through her textbooks Ginny managed to find the worn copy of her Transfiguration book. And a dark unfamiliar journal tucked underneath it, curiously the redhead thumbed through the yellowed pages. Despite its worn appearance the journal hadn't been written in yet tucking the book beneath her pillows Ginny rushed out to meet up with Arathyn in the common room.

Arathyn entered her dormitory only to be greeted by an open window and a surprise visitor.

"Riley! What are you doing here you're supposed to be in the Owlery." The smallish owl squawked in response before swooping down from his perch on the top of a nearby dresser and landing on her shoulder.

"Ow, Riley watch your claws." The small bird loosened his grip and pecked at some free strands of hair. Returning back to the task at hand the young witch managed to locate her collection of Gilderoy Lockhart novels which sat beneath her Herbology and History of Magic books. Arathyn hoped she would find Witchr soon because another day of Herbology and History of Magic back to back might just kill her.

A/N: Hey guys checkout Anumij her story _Bittersweet Innocence _it's a really well written piece and she's just one cool cat. So yeah check that out and you can totally tell she's gonna be awesome 'cuz her name sounds like a freakin' Egyptian god!

~Witchr Out!~


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